Director, National Landscape Conservation System and Community Partnerships

Subject:

Review of the Draft National Policy Guidance: National Wild and Scenic Rivers

Manual DD: 1/28/2011

Program Areas: All programs and offices involved in inventory, evaluation and management of Wild and Scenic Rivers.

Purpose: This Instruction Memorandum (IM) requests field review of the attached draft national policy guidance.

Policy/Action: The draft guidance contains general Bureau of Land Management (BLM) policy and program direction for the evaluation and management of potential wild and scenic rivers (WSRs) and the management of designated components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System (NWSRS).

States, Districts and Field Offices are encouraged to review and provide comments on this draft guidance. Each State Office shall consolidate Field comments and submit one set of comments for each state. Please send comments to Dick Fichtler, Project Manager, Wild and Scenic Rivers Manuals in the office of the National landscape Conservation System (WO-171).

Timeframe: Comments on the attached guidance is requested by close of business on January 28, 2011.

Budget Impact: None.

Background: This draft policy is the first of three manuals that will revise current Bureau policy. The second manual in this series will provide detailed guidance on the inventory, planning, and management of eligible and suitable wild and scenic rivers. The third manual will provide guidance on the management of designated wild and scenic rivers.